


I Won't Let Go

by orphan_account



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-11-24
Updated: 2013-11-28
Packaged: 2018-07-29 15:51:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7690528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kalila Peters seems an ordinary girl. Except for the fact that she's always where she shouldn't be, always attracting trouble. And then there's her imaginary friend who comes back every few years or so to take her away. But he always brings her back. And he so rarely has the same face, and even rarer the same person with him. But he always comes back for her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

Tuesday, eleven AM, November 2nd, 1994. An ordinary date, an ordinary day. Clouded over, but no storm clouds, nothing like that. Just an ordinary day.  
Glancing round, the woman clutched the baby bundle to her chest. She'd had him park streets away, just so she could have these last few minutes with the little baby. She was awake, but not crying, waving her arms up at her mother. She'd bought the girls blanket a long way away, and she tucked it tighter around her still as she walked. She'd made one adjustment, a small patch with her name adorning the fabric sewn on. Kalila.  
She sighed and stopped on a bench for a moment. She'd done everything she needed to, now she was just stalling for time. She didn't want to do what she knew she had to do.

Stroking the babies face she sighed before routing through her pocket and pulling out a small trinket. A little box that if opened by the right hand would play music. Gently she raised her own hand, pressing it to the top of the box. It opened slowly and the tune started up, the sound of violins and pianos emanating from the tiny box, a quiet symphony, only heard by those very close. Kalila would never be able to open it, not till she was fully grown, not till she was ready. But she'd have it. The mysterious little box that she'd never be able to open herself, but would be hers and hers alone. There's nothing else on earth like it. Just like her girl.

She tucked the metal in next to the baby, who squealed at the invasion before settling again. Kissing her smooth forehead, the mother stood once more, starting off down the street once more to the destination she had planned originally.  
With a heavy heart, she came to a stop outside the large building at the end of the street. She kissed her baby girls head a final time, stroking her cheek.

"I love you, Kalila. Never forget that. And I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

She set the bundle down on the doorstep and, after taking a deep breath, she rang the doorbell, pulled her hood up and hurried off down the street.


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kalila meets the Doctor for the first time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll eventually get around to re-writing this chapter so that it's not in first person (this is an old fic...) but until then, you can have the original version.

I grin as I bounce down the stairs. A family was coming today, coming for me. I was finally gonna get adopted.  
Tracey, my social worker, had brushed my hair down, finally managing to control the crazy curls, and tied it in piggytails, the way I liked it. It always bounced like that.

I made it to the bottom of the stairs with a grin, beaming brightly at Tracey, who took my hand to lead me into the interview room. There's a lady sat there, and a man. They looked nice and I grin at them, showing them my missing front teeth.

"Hello!" I greet excitedly, bouncing as Tracey helps me onto the chair. I swing my legs as I look at the man and the woman. They look nice, sweet. Though the man looks a bit stern and lined. He just nods to me, but the woman leans over with a smile.

"Hello. I'm Caitlyn Jones. You're Kalila, aren't you?" I nod with a bright grin, swinging my legs and shaking her hand when she offers it.

"Uh huh. I like Kallie though! Tracey calls me Kallie. She thinks my Mummy and Daddy would have called me Kallie. And everyone else calls me Kallie too, because it's pretty. Kalila sounds funny." I explain before I notice the look on the people's faces and I go quiet. Tracey always said I talked too much.

They asked me questions, and I kept being told to be quiet when I talked to much, which made no sense. They ask me to talk then tell me to shhh.  
It goes on for _hours_! Silly stuff mostly, like my school records and my eating habits. I go quiet at the mention of school. I know I'm not very good, I talk too much and I always get in trouble. The teachers call it a talent, my ability to get into trouble without trying. Tracey calls it a pain. I call it fun!

After ages and ages in the meeting room, I'm sent out, told to sit outside and be good because the grown-ups need to talk about things. I pout slightly, but hop down from my chair and hurry out the room. This is the best bit though, because this is where they tell Tracey that they want to adopt me, and they fill out all the paperwork and I go and pack and they take me away to their house and I live with them and call them Aunty Katie and Uncle John, since I have a Mummy and Daddy, and then I get to decorate my room however I like and we go on family trips and I help Aunty Katie bake cakes and Uncle John can teach me to garden and we'll be a proper family.

I beam brightly, my tongue poking out of the hole where my teeth were as I continue swinging my legs and waiting. It's boring waiting, always makes me want to go wandering off and exploring, but Tracey told me to be a good girl, so even though I want to wander off, I stay where I am.  
It's five minutes later when Tracey comes out, all on her own. I frown slightly as I look at her, her legs bending till she's crouched eye level with me.

"Kalila..." She says sadly, reaching out to gently cup my face. I think I know what's coming, she's gonna tell me she's sad to see me go and that's why she looks like she's gonna cry. That's it, that's gotta be it!  
"Oh Kallie, I'm so sorry." She says and I frown deeper.

"Why? You really gonna miss me that much Tracey?" I ask, trying not to give into the fear that's hanging on the edge of my consciousness. It can't be that, they're gonna adopt me. We're gonna be a great family, I know it!

"Kallie, I'm so sorry kiddo... They... They've said they want to look at someone else.." My face falls slightly and I shake my head in disbelief. This had to be a cruel, cruel trick. It had to be! They want me, they had to want me!

I slide from the chair so I'm stood in front of her, scrubbing at my eyes, sniffling quietly as I try to hold in the tears. Tracey sighs and wraps me in a tight hug, though I don't hug her back. It's her fault, she told them I got in trouble at school, that's what it is. It's Tracey's fault for not telling them that I did it to help people!  
It's not _FAIR!_

I pull from the hug and take off up the stairs, barely pausing when I fall and scrape my hands and knees. I just get straight back to my feet and keep running, slamming my bedroom door.  
It takes a bit of doing, but I manage to move my bedside table to in front of the door, so she can't get in. Then I curl on my bed, drawing my knees to my chest as I cry. I reach under my pillow and pull out the little box I was found with. The metal is cool and as I always do, I twist it about in my hands, searching for some way to open it. I know there's no way in, but it calms me slowly to see something that's mine. It lets me know I have a Mummy and Daddy and they cared about me.  
I sniffle and kneel up on my bed to look out the window, clutching the box tightly in one hand as I stare up.  
"I wish someone wanted me..." I say with another sniffle. I grab my pillow and rest it on my windowsill, curling there as I let my eyes close. I'd fallen asleep like this before, watching the stars. They always made me feel safe.

I don't know how long I slept, but a noise woke me up. And there was a wind, was my window open? I opened my eyes to realise the wind was coming from inside my room. So was the noise. I wipe my face, my cheeks all sticky as I squint against the bright light. What was going on? Was one of the big kids playing pranks on me again?

Finally the noise stopped and the light went out and there in front of me was a blue box. How did that get in my room? My door still had the drawers in front of it. I straighten up slowly as the door creaks open and a man's head pops out, tilting to the side as he looks at me.

"H-Hello?" I ask, wondering whether or not I should shout for Tracey. Before remembering I'm mad at her.

"Hello!" He replies, grinning at me and stepping out of the box entirely. His ears are huge, that's the first thing I notice. He steps towards me again and I skitter back a little.  
"Oh don't be scared of me now." He says, crouching in front of my bed.  
"I just got a little lost see. Can you tell me where I am?"

"You're in my bedroom..." I tell him, still frowning as I rest back against the windowsill, clutching tightly at my box.

"Uh huh." He nods and smiles at me, a big bright smile that even lifts the big ears. I smile back a little, he just looks so funny.

"And where's your bedroom?"

"London... England... Who are you? How did you get in here? Why were you in a box? How did the box get in here?" I ask the questions one after another, not a breathe in between and the man laughs, patting the bed.

"Can I sit? Then I'll explain." I nod, moving away from the window to sit next to him as he deposits himself on my bed.  
"I'm the Doctor." He says with a smile as I settle next to him, blinking up at him excitedly.  
"My box isn't just a box, it's a special box that travels anywhere and everywhere." I frown at him.

"That's impossible though!" I protest, though I do sneak a glance over a the box out of interest. He laughs and pats my head, and he doesn't seem to notice that I frown at him.

"Oh nothings impossible." He says, grinning again. I can't help myself as I stand slightly to poke his ears.

"These are really big..." I say before beaming at him.  
"I like them!" I decide with a nod, flopping back down to sit again, giggling as he feels his ears.  
"So if the box goes anywhere an' everwhere... can you take me away? No-one wants me here..." I say, looking up at him hopefully. He glances down and sighs at me.

"How about you do me a deal?" I nod and grin, willing to do anything to go away. Especially if I get away without Tracey being able to follow me.  
"You tell me your name, and I'll take you to see Niagra Falls." I bounce excitedly, actually hopping off the bed so I can bounce properly.

"My name's Kalila Peters. But I like Kallie because..." I pause, remembering how they hadn't wanted me today, probably because I talk too much.  
"Just because..." I finish, stopping my bouncing and hanging my head slightly.

He crouches so he's eye level with me and rests his hands on my shoulders.  
"Why do you prefer Kallie?" He asks and I shake my head.

"Just because." I repeat, not wanting him to say he didn't want me as well. He frowns slightly, but lets it go and stands, easily lifting me with him as he carries me towards his box.  
I grin before wriggling "Wait! Wait!" I say, and when he puts me down I run over to my wardrobe and pull on my coat, tugging my hair out of the pigtails and stashing my little box in my pocket before running back to him and taking his hand. "Okay, lets go!"

I step inside and nearly fall over. It's bigger on the inside! The Doctor chuckles and helps me stay upright.  
"It's... It's bigger!" I exclaim, spinning to look at him. He grins and nods, lifting me up and setting me on a control panel.

"That it is." He says with a chuckle, as I glance around in awe, spinning to try and take it all in, causing him to have to catch me as I nearly fall off.  
"Now... I promised you Niagra Falls."

It seems only a second later that he tells me to step out of the box. I frown and eye the door.  
"How're we at the falls already? We didn't go anyway the box just made a funny noise!" I protest and he laughs, scooping me up onto his shoulders and carrying me out the door.

I nearly fall off when I see that there's a massive waterfall in front of us. He grins and steadies me as we walk right up to the railing before he tugs me off his shoulders to set me on the railing, holding me carefully to make sure I don't fall.  
"This is really loud!" I yell and I can just about hear him laughing behind me.

He swings me off the railing after a while and carries me to a nearby cafe, setting me down in a chair and smiling as I swing my legs and look around.

"Are you magic?" I ask him and he chuckles, shaking his head.

"No Kallie, I'm not magic. I'll tell you if you promise to keep it a secret." I nod eagerly, leaning over the table in excitement. His face lights up and he leans to whisper in my ear.  
"I'm an alien. My box isn't magic, it's a spaceship." My eyes go wide as I pull away, staring at him in disbelief. He grins at me again and my own face lights up as I clap.

"That's so cool!" I pause and frown "And you wanna be my friend? Why?" I tilt my head to the side in question and he smiles, reaching over to ruffle my hair.

"Because you need a friend."

"You heard my wish?"

"Oh so that's what that was!" He grins and reclines back in his seat and I clap excitedly. He beams that cheeky grin again. "Now, you must be hungry, all that crying. So order anything you want." He says as the waitress approaches the table.

I grab the menu and beam as I order.

There's little conversation over food, and I try not to stuff my face too much, though he doesn't seem to have many more manners than me.

We make it to the end of the day before he carries me towards his box.

"Are you takin' me back?" I ask sleepily. He nods as he sets me down on the chair just inside.  
"Do you hafta?" I ask with a pout. He smiles and crouches next to me.

"Yeah, I do. But don't worry, I'll come see you again. Promise." He grins and I pout, but slouch into his couch.

Next thing I know, I'm waking up and it's the next morning. I'm wrapped in the light brown jacket he was wearing and the drawers have been moved from the door.  
I beam as I sit up with the jacket, tugging it tighter around me. He was real!


End file.
